Talking motion picture apparatus



Oct. 11, 1932. c. H. SEAHOLM TALKING MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original Filed Nov. 8, 1929 proceeds,

Patented Oct. 11, 1932 UNETED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES HUGO SEAHOLM, OF NEW YORK,

N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO GENERAL TALKING PICTURES CORPORATION, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE TALKING MOTION PICTURE APPARATUS Original application filed November 8, 1929, Serial No. 405,743. Divided and this application filed November 18, 1930. Serial No. 496,511.

The present invention relates to improvements in talking motion picture apparatus, this particular application being a division of the one filed November 8th, 19:29. Serial No. 405,743.

One object of the invention is the provisionof a novel means for resiliently holding the film in place upon a film guiding roller.

Another object of this invention is the provision of a sound-on-film head inwhicha roller for guiding the film is provided and in turn is rotated by the film, there being provided two rollers normally tensioned to hold the film upon the said roller combined with manually operative means for releasing the rollers during the threading operation or the removal of the fihn from the sound head.

\Vith the foregoing and other objectsan View, which will appear as the description the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the invention.

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a side elevational view of the sound-on-film head with the lid removed to exhibit the interior thereof.

Figure 2 is an enlarged the film guiding roller with rollers in contact therewith.

Figure 3 is a section taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

In the present practical embodiment of combined picture and sound projecting machines it is usual to maintain the picture projector and talking motion picture attachment, or what is known as the sound box, as two separate units mechanically connected together, the sound box unit being preferably located below the gear and lens box of the former. Naturally in such a device there are numerous sprocket wheels and rollers over which the film F passes and hence in threading up the machine it is necessary to make provision in the apparatus to permit of ease detailed view of the holding and rapidity in threading the machine without danger to provide a talking motion picture attachment for standard projection machines since in most cases the projection machine is already in operation and it is, therefore, highly to the film. It is also desirable.

desirable to be able to add as a unit thetalking motion picture or sound box attachment.

- In this invention this object has been met in a highly successful manner with a rugged and relatively simple arrangement of parts.

A more detailed description of the invention with reference to the drawing will provide a better understanding of the invention. The casing supporting all of the parts of the attachment is shown at 1, and such casing is so shaped and designed as to rest upon and be attached to the base of the motion picture projector and have attached thereto and support the head of such projector. The upper edge indicated at 2 of this casing is made in such form or configuration so as to permit of the uniting of the attachment casing with the head of the/picture projector. The edge indicated by the reference numera 3 is of 'such configuration as to permit of attachment thereto of the base and lower reel magazine which receives the film indicated by the dotted line F.

At t is a small casing secured to the casing 1 in which the two exciter lamps L are mounted in their sockets S. Each socket is controlled by means of the threaded rod or sleeve and nut 6'to permit of its fine adjustment vertically. By the use of the two sockets S mounted as indicated, the operator without any interruption to service can move slide 8a to move one lamp L out of alignment with the optical system 7, and bring the other into alignment, this being necessary when one lamp burns out. The burned out lamp can thus be removed and a new one substituted. all of this being possible while the machine is being operated. Forming part of or secured to the casing 4 is a round cylindrical projection 8 which is slotted and provided with ears and a screw 8 so that optical system tube 7 may be adjustably secured therein. The lens system of any of the wellknown types in this ar are supported within the tube 7 and are adslight tension is imparted to the idler 93 so justable or fixed with respect to each other that the film is held taut and any unevenness as maybe desirable to permit of focusing the that may be imparted to the film by the light from one of the exciter lamps on the sprocket 7 is ironed out and the usual fly 5 film at the point where the sound record, is wheel can be dispensed with. This mechaimpressed. v nism, together with the rollers 35 imparts There has been indicated in Fig. 1 atoothed to the film the smooth steady motion it resprocket wheel 7 around a portion of quires, and without the employment of fly which the film F passes and against which Wheels or other inertia devices.

10 it is held by means of a small roller 9. This The film F then passes around the sprocket 75 sprocket 7 represents the lower feed Wheel 10 and moves a smooth roller 58 which sprocket of the head of the picture projecholds the film against the sprocket wheel. tor. A similar sprocket is shown within the The roller 58 is mounted on an arm 55 pivcasing l at 10 and is mounted on a shaft otally supported at 57, while a flat spring 59 81 (See Fig. 1). Shaft 81 is connected with holds the roller 58 towards sprocket 10. so the shaft on which roller 7' is mounted by Mounted on a small bracket 60 is an adjustmeans of a plurality of gears of such size able thumb screw 61 which serves to limit that the sprockets 7 and 10 are driven in the clockwise movement of the lever 55 under the desired direction and at the same'speed. the action of a spring 59. The film F then These gears are preferably driven by means passes through an opening 62 in the bottom 85 of an electric motor, the gears and motor not of th a i g ov r the idl 63 of a block being W n the g- 0 63 and thence to the lower reel in the lower After the film F leaves sprocket 7' it is fil a i e 1 pe hg ly, as and h Passes It may be pointed out here in connection w 11110161 rollers Qh curves the film with Fig. 2 that the roller 35 is mounted on 90 agalnst the su lface 0f h 51117 block, the shaft 37 in an anti-friction manner. The talled descllptlon of Whlch W111 later Pp inner end of shaft 37 is journaled in a bracket The rollers 31 are mounted and carr 1ed on 39 b means f th sharpened b i i a p fi f Whlch has prolectlon 40. As will be apparent, the only force which 30 32 against Whlch a flat p f g 34 presses and drives the roller 35, and the shaft 37, is that 95 thus holds the rollers resiliently or under caused by h fil held i t th t th tension toward the slit block. A knurled 1 handle 31 is provided to release the rollers g roller 35 by means of the rollers 41 and when threading the machine. The film after It will be seen fr 5 it leaves the slit block passes substantially closure that there h fully around the relatively large roller 35 om the foregoing disas been devised an exceedingly efiicient device for carrying out W 10h freely mounted on a Shaft 37 lour' necessary functions incident to the producnalled in a bracket 36, and thence over the tion of Sounds from protogmphic rec0rds small fixedly mounted roller 35. By means What I claim is 40 of two Small 41 and 42 mounted on 1. In a mechanism of the type described 1 g 5 of f g z. gi fi Z; employing a motion picture film, the combievers an respec 1ve y e ro ers and 42 are g towards rollers 35 y natlon of a sprocket over which the film means of a spring connected between the 45 pivoted arms 43 and 44, said arms 43 and 44 g bsald spi'ockgt bemg adaptfid to be no are pivotally supported on a block 47, on the 3 g an e ectnc motor a m er 0Y6! casi g in such a manner that a rotatable cam 33 f fin ifll'i irltfi l's l v ticif i s f fiiiifi i dispqsed at diametrically Opposed points open or permit the closing of the arms and to relatlve to the roller a roller moupted m 5 thereby move the rollers to and from the the freeend of each arm holdmg the roller 35. It has been found in practise that film agamst the first 1011.813 a Sprmg connected the shaft which carries the sprocket 7 is not to both arms for h9ldmg the arms towalid always, nor is it made of sufficienfly hard each other, a cam 1ournalled between said steel to wear smoothly and therefore that arms anda manually operated Shaft carrymg 120 this Sprocket Often causes the jerky move the cam, whereby the arms are simultaneousment in the m Which cannot be taken up ly moved outwardly against the HQtIOII Of the by fly wheels or the like, but which in pracp to move the one, earned y the tise can be eliminated by the idler 93 over armsaaway from the firstrouerwhich the film is directed before being en- In l arrangemfmt f p g 125 gaged b th upper ll r 31", Thi idl smooth motlonto a motion plcture film hav- 93 is supported from a lug 90, aportion of mg a sound record thereon, the combination t e casing 2 to which is pivoted an arm 91 comprlslng two sprockets adapted to be which is held normally upwardly under ten-- driven at the same speed by means-of an elecsion by means of the spring 92 so that a trio motor, a roller rotatably supported and 11m around which the film passes, the film when driven by said sprockets acting to rotate said roller two spaced arms pivoted with their free ends disposed in an embracing relation to said roller, a spring normally holding the arms toward each other, said first roller, and a manuall operable cam disposed between the arms or actuating the last two rollers to move them from contact with the film and V 6 against the action of the spring.

In testimony whereof I aflix mysignature.

CHARLES HUGO SEAHOLM. 

